In the years since recognizing the FeedbackEffect of HypnoCracy?, we've seen increasing evidence that it opposes the basis of civilization. Like TheFiveMonkeys, even folks whose perspicacity we admire appear suborned by fears and hopes created by globally broadcast illusions. As FolieDeTous? these take on a reality of their own. You don't have to be Kaczynski [UnaBomber] to feel isolated by that. In any party of wise friends that turns its concern to the logistics of celebrity childbirth, the desire to stand up and just slap 'em all is overwhelmed by the realization that a whole culture of social conditioning prevents acknowledgement of the existence of the banana.

A while back, TheReformSociety tried to describe a frame within which civilization could be promoted. But refsoc was too permissive - dedicated to reform in all possible contexts, it grew to include variously incivil propositions. Some parts of what was done on refsoc are valuable still, and MarkTilley is attempting to take these and make something of them. We wish him the very best of luck with that ... on the other hand, it may be that these bits and Mark might fold into what's described below.

It happens PeterMerel's beloved wife has framed a number of old front cover engravings from the late 19th century American journal "Harper's Weekly". A couple of these reflect her sailing enthusiasm and these engravings feature beautiful old America's Cup boats. Another cover reflects her accomplishments as a horsewoman - it's of a pony express rider delivering the mail. The subtitle on the masthead reads "A JournalOfCivilization".

In those days, civilization was something to look forward to - the gateway to a milieu of amity in which folk would have the necessary leisure and etiquette to be civil to each other. In these days, when the GenevaConvention? is dubbed "quaint", such Victorian optimism appears hopeless. Yet from the Renaissance through the end of the 19th century the spread of secularism and science had generally improved the lot of ordinary men. No one was entirely certain what the future would look like, and there were as many distopians as utopians - viz. EreWhon?, TheMachineStops, and various warnings by GeorgeBernardShaw, HerbertGeorgeWells & other Fabians. Still, the great Victorian visions inspired early 20th century science of which we're still in awe - the work of NikolaTesla, NielsBohr, AlbertEinstein, and their fellows.

The original intent of the luminaries - the happy future lampooned by "The Jetsons" - has fallen away. Likewise, Harper's Weekly itself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper%27s_Weekly) politicized and fell dead in a ditch around the first world war. Still that subtitle beckons ...

I'd like to kick off a wiki JournalOfCivilization to discuss developments that seem genuinely good for the FourFreedoms and HumanKindness? in general. This wiki might be a bit like SlashDot, but without the careless techno-sensationalism. It might be a bit like NewScientist, but without proscription of subjects that don't touch on technology. It will be no BonsaiWiki?, but it will be a ContentCreationWiki. It will be decidedly unlike BuzzFlash? or FoxNews? - it will be unconcerned with news of present political conflicts and media artifacts. It will be constructive rather than reactive. And it will be focused on HumanKindness? in the large - no stories about kittens being rescued by firefighters or "sporting" achievements and so on. The idea is not expressly CounterCounterCounterCulture?-al or FeedforwardEffect?-ish - it is simply to provide a focus on civilization and enable a community to promote just that.

I'm not certain this is an adequate description of something that you could call a JournalOfCivilization, so I'm writing it up here in hopes that you, gentle editor, will improve it. No ThreadMess please - just go and edit the bits you want to edit above and I'll cope with that. If you really want to thread on this, follow JournalOfCivilizationDiscussion and thread on there. -- PeterMerel